


Obligatory College AU

by Babenclaw



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, M/M, Typical College Angst, Underage Drinking
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-24
Updated: 2015-11-24
Packaged: 2018-04-23 05:43:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4865246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Babenclaw/pseuds/Babenclaw
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Roxas tapped his fingers idly on the scarred desktop, his eyes scanning the room. He tried his best to focus on anything in the room that didn't happen to be his obnoxiously hot GTA. Teachers shouldn't be that attractive, not when university rules clearly stated they were off limits. He was interrupting his ability to learn, not that Roxas thought the Registrar's Office would accept that as a good reason for a withdrawal from a class.  How did he even get this job anyway? With hair that red,  shouldn't he have been disqualified from the start?</p><p>Roxas sighed and slumped back in his chair as the professor stood up from his desk chair. He focused on the professor, not noticing the object of his distraction moving closer until he'd sat down in the row right in front of him, at which point any chances of focus went right out the door along with Roxas's ability to breathe. Oh wow. How many shades of red hair dye had he used? There was no way that was natural.</p><p>He heard a low laugh, and then he was suddenly staring at sea foam green eyes.</p><p>"Problem?"</p><p>Roxas fought to swallow. He'd never seen eyes like that. </p><p>"N-no sir." This was going to be a long semester.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was spawned one long, bored afternoon with my roommate when I made a joke about Roxas being a student in a class Axel TA'd. It very quickly spiraled out of control and now here it is. 
> 
> Title's still in the works, I promise.

Roxas sighed, idly spinning his pencil between his fingers. The lecture hall was full to bursting, the sound of people echoing back in the space. Wasn’t the class supposed to thin out four weeks into the semester? Roxas thought that was some sort of tenet to college. After syllabus week, all bets were off. He was lucky enough to have a perfectly nondescript seat in the class, more or less in the middle without being front and center to the professor. Not that Roxas thought he’d notice. With his cargo shorts and his sunglasses perched in his hair, the man looked far more at home on a sunny beach than here, in this dimly lit lecture hall. Behind him, his lecture for the day was already queued and ready to go. Roxas yawned and slumped a bit further into his chair, closing his eyes and allowing the controlled chaos to flow over his tired body.

“Mind if I sit here?”

Roxas lazily peeked his eyes open, offering the raven-haired girl an easy smile.

“You gonna ask me that every day?”

He shifted his bag off the seat next to him. She sat with a world-weary sigh that Roxas connected to on a spiritual level at this point. The small girl lifted the desk and set her coffee on it, rubbing her eyes. Roxas debating stealing the paper cup for a sip before deciding against it.

“Rough day?” he asked instead.  She nodded, her blue eyes looking dull. Roxas frowned and nudged her with his shoulder. That was his Xion, always working herself to the bone and then some. She never quit. “It’s nearly the weekend,” Roxas said. It was becoming a mantra for them. Almost the weekend. Nearly there. They’d never been warned about junior year being this hard.

Xion took a huge swallow of her coffee. Roxas imagined he saw steam when she exhaled. “Almost the weekend,” she said back. Her eyes were thoughtful. “Got plans for the weekend?”

Roxas shrugged, returning to twirling his pencil. “Not really. My roommate’s going home to visit family last I heard. Probably get a head start on my project.” Xion groaned quietly and poked him in the side.

“Boring! C’mon, we’ve been back for a month. It’s time to live a little, I think.”

“Neither of us can drink, Xion. What do you think we’re gonna do in a college town?”

Xion grinned innocently. “There’s a football game on Saturday night.”

Roxas shook his head and put his hands up. “Oh no. I have been your game-day buddy for too long, Xion. I’m drawing the line.” Xion pouted and leaned into his side.

“But Roxaaaaas… It’s a tradition now!” Roxas laughed and nudged her up with his shoulder.

“Nope, final answer. Now shh.”

Xion would have replied, but the professor lowered the lights fully and she decided instead to pretend to pay attention to his lecture. He put the slides online anyway. She only attended class for the pop quizzes at this point.

Roxas knew this wouldn’t be the end of the discussion, but he had won for now.

-

“So about that football game,” Xion said as soon as she and Roxas had exited the poorly air conditioned lecture hall, blinking in the sunlight filtering in through the windows.

“Xion, I have a project!” Roxas said, trying not to laugh. They expertly weaved through hall traffic, emerging into the muggy September heat. Together, they started their now familiar walk toward the Student Union. “The Heart of Campus” the signs proclaimed. Roxas thought it was a pretty congested heart. They grabbed smoothies from the shop at the front and claimed a set of creaky metal chairs that were bolted to the ground around an equally creaky metal table. Xion slammed her fist down onto the metal.

“I refuse to allow you to live the boring, sedentary life of your underclassman days, Roxas!”

Roxas shook his head and took a delicious sip of cool smoothie.

“Not even if I want to live that boring, sedentary life?”

“Especially not then.” Xion nodded self-righteously. Roxas couldn’t hide the small fond smile as it crept across his face, something Xion picked up on quickly.

“Ha! See, you want to go!” she crowed triumphantly. Roxas allowed a full laugh then, pointing his smoothie straw at her.

“I’m not tailgating.”

Xion grinned. “No tailgating.”

Roxas nodded and they finished their smoothies together, catching up on the day and the work they had for the weekend before they parted to their respective classes. Roxas tossed his empty cup in the trash as he climbed the stairs to the psychology building, Xion having already taken off for the theater department halfway across campus. He looked across the huge grass field, taking in the people milling around, and smiled before heading inside the building.

-

Looking back, Roxas should have known better than to trust Xion. No tailgating, right. And Roxas was the president of the university.

When the knock came on his dorm room door, Roxas was sure it was maintenance. They’d knock once or twice and let themselves in. He ignored them, instead burrowing deeper into his warm monochrome covers. The knock came again, louder. Roxas sat up blearily, wiping the side of his face and letting out a massive yawn. He forced his legs out of bed and stumbled out of his room and into the common room. It was dark, the other roommate gone for the weekend. Roxas peered through the peephole of the front door, groaning when he saw a head of short black hair. He flipped the lock and pulled the door open, glaring at Xion as well as he could while still being half asleep. Xion ignored his look, instead bouncing inside. She was decked out in school colors, blue and silver. She looked too awake and too excited for—Roxas checked the clock on the oven—nine in the morning. He waved her inside and forced himself to go turn his coffee maker on instead of face planting back into his bed like he wanted to.

“Want anything?”

Xion shook her head. She pulled out one of the dining chairs and sat down, kicking her feet up to rest on the chair across from her. She gladly filled the quiet of the room with her voice as Roxas downed a cup of coffee. Once he had finished, he rinsed the cup in the sink and set it there to clean later.

“Better go get dressed, or we’ll be late,” Xion said. Roxas could hear the underlying threat in her voice. _And if we’re late…_

Roxas groaned and slumped off to take a shower.

By the time he returned to the common area, Xion had done the few dishes in the sink and was gesturing to him with a paintbrush. Roxas thought about arguing, but knew it would only end up worse for him, so he just gave in and sat on the floor in front of her with closed eyes. Xion made quick work of his face, painting words and designs across his forehead and cheeks.

Roxas resisted the urge to wipe his face clean. If it wasn’t for Xion… but that was neither here nor there, he supposed, because it was for Xion. So he slipped his sneakers on and grabbed his keys.

“Can we at least grab food?”

Xion laughed. “Sure. I’ll even swipe you in.”

-

Since Roxas had full access to a kitchen, his parents had decided to give him money for groceries instead of a meal plan. That was all well and good, other than the fact that Roxas wasn’t the best cook. Since Xion’s meal plan was unlimited, he’d trade her some of his grocery money each month as long as she’d swipe him into the dining hall. It worked pretty well. Roxas grinned across the table as he tore apart the chocolate chip waffle he’d made himself. Xion, looking mildly disgusted, delicately picked apart her eggs and toast.

“How can you eat that for breakfast?” Xion asked. Roxas wiped the smear of chocolate from his lips and laughed.

“Easy. It’s amazing.”

Xion shook her head and sipped her apple juice, her eyes scanning the hall. “I would disagree.”

Roxas kicked her lightly under the table, careful not to ruin her tights. “You’d be wrong.”

She laughed and kicked him back harder. “Eat your disgusting waffle. The sooner you’re done, the sooner we can tailgate!”

Roxas ate three more waffles before they headed out into the fall sunlight. Xion, who had finished her food long before Roxas was done, dragged him out the door. The heat hit them directly in the face. Roxas bit back a groan and followed behind Xion as they walked down the plaza’s sidewalk and across the street. He was very aware of what Xion thought of as tailgating. She would stop to play cornhole at any tent that welcomed her, actively debating stats and players and odds with any drunk frat boy she could, and Roxas would have to peel her away when some guy got handsy and the cycle would repeat. Xion was really too sweet for her own good. Roxas knew the routine. When they’d both been wide-eyed freshman, Roxas would love to wander through the tents of upperclassmen, listening to the laughter and the cheers and the occasional unbidden chanting of the school fight song. Now all he wanted was the air conditioning of his blissfully empty apartment and one of the cold root beers in his fridge. The magic of college only got you so far while you were sober, after all.

But—and it was a rather large but—it made Xion happy. And Roxas was always a sucker for seeing his best friend’s grin. Homework be damned, there wasn’t much Roxas wouldn’t do to make her smile. If all it required was a football game in ninety degree heat, Roxas would follow along gladly.

Well, gladly might be a bit strong. He followed along, at any rate.

“My phone’s gonna be dead before we even get in the arena,” Roxas griped, staring down at the offending piece of technology. Xion tossed her beanbag expertly, pouting a bit when the bag slid past the hole and off the back.

“You could go charge it before we head over? The march isn’t for another hour yet.”

Roxas stilled, torn between leaving Xion here on the field alone and having a phone on him for the inevitable four hour game looming in his future like some insurmountable beast of testosterone and boredom. Xion made the decision for him.

“Go charge your damn phone, Roxas. And meet me outside the dining hall by five o’ clock, you hear me?”

Roxas nodded, said his goodbyes, and jogged off into the crowd. If he was lucky, he’d have a nearly full battery by the time the match started.

-

As it turned out, Roxas was not lucky.

He slammed his head into the glass door, willing someone to come out of the RA office and take pity on the poor boy who’d forgotten his ID card. With no ID card, he had no way to swipe his way into the locked building. And, more importantly to Roxas’s physical being, he had no way to get into the football game. Student tickets were tied to the ID that Roxas remembered, hours too late, leaving in the back pocket of last night’s jeans. He banged his head on the glass again, inches away from the poorly designed construction paper sign stating that there should be “no banging on the glass.”

Just as Roxas was about to give in and go get himself an iced coffee, he heard a snicker from behind him. He turned around, ready to thank his savior no matter whom it ended up being.

“Hayner!”

The blond rolled his eyes. “Who else?” He breezed past Roxas to slide his ID into the waiting keypad. “Forget your ID? Again?”

Roxas nodded, pretending the light pink on his cheeks was from the heat. Hayner slammed his hand into the handicapped button, letting the door whoosh open on its own.

“You should just staple that damn thing to your forehead. I know you’re out of lockouts.”

“I have one left,” Roxas muttered, following the blonde inside the blissfully cool lobby. Hayner rolled his eyes and flopped down on one of the couches.

“Better go get it. I’m sure Xion is waiting for you. Pence, Olette, and I will be at the game too, by the way. I’m just waiting on them to come down.” Roxas nodded. He knew they usually went to the games, mostly to poke fun at Seifer any time he managed to fumble the ball. Not that Seifer didn’t need a bit of an ego deflation, but Roxas wasn’t going to be part of that. It took a moment for Hayner’s comment about Xion to click.

“Shit, I’m gonna be late!” Roxas waved quickly before taking off up the two flights of stairs to his hall, fumbling with his keys and unlocking his door. He dug through his overflowing laundry basket, finally managing to find yesterday’s jeans, and fished around in the pockets until he had his ID safely in his grip. He stuck it in his wallet and then took off again, hastily locking his door behind him. It was nearly five, his phone was half dead, and he had to get his ass back to Xion or she would do that disappointed face and he would feel guilty for the rest of the night.

Roxas really hated game days.

-

Four hours later, four grueling hours of screaming and one drunk guy who tripped down the stairs and dropped his chili cheese nachos inches from Roxas, the game was over. It had been a blowout, honestly. Roxas almost felt bad for the other team, though he didn’t say anything of the sort. He’d played along just enough to avoid confrontation, standing for the alma mater nobody knew and swaying with the rest of the crowd.

Why did they even bother with the alma mater? Did anybody really know that song outside of the last two words?

Roxas rubbed his eyes and allowed the crowds of people to lead him and Xion out of the stadium. His dorm was right next to the stadium, so Xion and he would eat food and hang out there until it was safe to take Xion home. If the party ran late, she’d stay the night and he would sleep on the couch. They kind of had it down to a science at this point, and his roommate never cared—not that he was home to care right now, anyway. They quickly ducked out of the boisterous crowd, Roxas swiping his card and punching in his code to allow them inside. He hid a yawn behind his hand as they trudged upstairs to his room.

“Did you see that one catch Terra made?” Xion asked excitedly, sitting directly on the kitchen table as Roxas went to grab them both drinks from his fridge. “I always forget how fast he is!”

“I was there, Xion, I know,” Roxas replied with a fond smile, handing her the dark brown glass bottle and taking a sip of his own.

“But he was amazing!” Roxas returned to the kitchen to put some frozen chicken wings in the oven before he settled in for the inevitable play by play. Xion loved to talk about the game after.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you have a crush on him, Xion.”

Xion laughed. “Every girl at this university has a crush on him. Have you seen him?”

Roxas shrugged. “He’s not my type.”

“You like your guys scrawny?” Xion laughed. “You’re scrawny enough for two people anyway.”

“Hey!” Roxas shoved her gently, smiling at her pealing laughter. “I don’t do muscle heads.”

“Right, I forgot you were set on your TA.”

Roxas flushed heavily, crossing his arms. “Where’d you hear a lie like that?” He tried to ignore the flush creeping up his neck and cheeks.

“When was the last time you agreed to meet anybody but me on a Sunday?”

Roxas huffed. “My professor sucks at teaching psychology and I suck at writing papers. I can’t fail this class; I need it for my major.”

Xion’s eyes sparkled deviously and she leaned in. “Which was why you smelled like cologne when we met afterwards.”

Roxas choked on his soda. He was abundantly glad that he hadn’t mentioned meeting his TA tomorrow too. Xion would never let it go. Luckily for the blond, the oven beeped soon after, and he left to get them their dinner. By the time he’d returned with two plates covered in wings and ranch dressing, Xion had forgotten all about it.

Roxas, on the other hand, was not so lucky.

Had he really been that obvious? He thought he’d been subtle about it. Did he know? God, if his TA had figured it out, Roxas would never be able to look him in the eyes again. He knew he shouldn’t be playing this game; it was too dangerous. But there was something about that guy that made him want to know him better.

Xion yawned, downing the last of her soda and stretching. “Mind if I just call it here?”

Roxas smiled and wiped his hands on his napkin. “Of course not. You know where I keep the pajamas for you.” Xion nodded and padded off to get ready for bed as Roxas made up his couch. “Goodnight, Xion.”

“Goodnight, Roxas,” he heard faintly from the hall to his room before she flicked out the main light, casting Roxas in darkness. He stared out the window at the faint shadows of where stars should be without the light pollution from the campus. In the distance, he could hear whooping and laughing, the sounds of college students having a good time.

He fell asleep almost immediately.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roxas and Axel meet up to do homework and Xion thinks they're cute. There's a pool.

Roxas woke far earlier than he intended to the next morning, his arm coming up to cover his eyes. He groaned and languidly stretched his legs out over the arm of the couch, allowing the tension of sleeping curled up to fade from his limbs, however temporarily. He rubbed his eyes and slowly sat up, squirming to adjust the way his sleep pants had twisted around him in the night. The sun poured far too happily through the partially opened blinds covering the living room window, making Roxas want nothing more than to yank the blanket back over his sleep-mussed blond hair and return to the wonderful dream he had been having. With a quiet groan, he flopped back onto the hard couch and groped blindly across the rough, carpeted floor until his fingers found the cool metal shape of his cell phone. He pulled the charging cord out and cracked his eyes open enough to observe the time. He licked his lips absently, trying to ignore the taste of not brushing his teeth the night before, and let the time sink in for a moment. He had half an hour until he was due at the library to conference with his TA. That was plenty of time to go back to sleep…

Roxas sat up suddenly, his head spinning as he tried to untangle himself from the throw blanket he’d wrapped himself in the night before. He knew from experience just how awful he probably looked, accompanied by the smell of beer and nachos and sweat that football games always left. There was no way in hell he was showing up to meet his TA like that. He grabbed his stuff and raced his way through his morning routine, tripping over his jeans as he tried to hop into them. His wet hair left dark spots on his t-shirt as he yanked it over his head, cursing. Xion, always a heavy sleeper, was comfortably curled up in the center of his mattress as he groped blindly for his sneakers. He finally found them under his bed along with his board, and it was only a couple minutes more before he was out the door, poptart gripped in his teeth and backpack over one shoulder.

Campus was post-game silent, a ghost town of sleeping college students and empty beer cans thrown haphazardly in bushes. The wind was cool, since it was still too early for the sun to be high enough to warm the earth too badly. The wheels of Roxas’ skateboard rattled quietly beneath his feet as he skated his way across campus, taking a few turns too tightly in his rush to make it to the library on time. He’d never been so relieved to see the double doors and he yanked them open, making his way to the second floor café where Axel had said he’d meet him.

The library was the usual Sunday morning silent. The couple of students sitting behind the library desk looked tired and bored, like there were a thousand places they’d rather be. The main hall smelled like old books and carpet cleaner, the walls littered with art from students of the university. Each piece came with a tiny metal plaque explaining what it was supposed to be. Roxas watched his reflection flash past in one piece, a mirror surrounded by words and art, as he hurried to the stairs and up to the second floor. His sneakers were loud in the echoing silence of the stairwell, further proof that he was the only one stupid enough to drag themselves out of their dorms this early. Roxas pushed the stairwell door open and took off down the stacks, heading with a practiced ease toward the café he knew was tucked into the front of the library, overlooking picture windows and the center of campus, where a giant fountain separated the library from the financial aid office.

True to his word, there was Axel, sitting casually in one of the small booths and tapping away on his laptop. Roxas, flush with his exertion and still slightly out of breath, slid into the booth across from him and exhaled a heavy sigh. Axel peered at him over the screen top and grinned, his eyes sparking with poorly hidden mirth.

“Long night?”

Roxas laughed and leaned his head back against the booth cushions. “You could say that.”

“I do believe I just did,” Axel replied. Roxas laughed and sat up to meet his eyes, ignoring the light shiver.

“I suppose you did. Yeah, my friend dragged me to last night’s game, as usual. It went into overtime, we were there pretty late.”

Axel closed his laptop lid and pushed it aside, and now there was nothing between the two of them. Roxas swallowed heavily and decided he needed to rectify that.

“D’you want a coffee or something? I really appreciate you agreeing to meet me on a Sunday…”

A shrug and a nod. “Man, if you’re offering, I’ll take a coffee.” Axel leaned back against the beige cushions, and Roxas quickly vacated his seat to get them both a much-needed drink. When he returned, two hot cups in his hands, Axel had his phone out and was absently tapping away at the screen. Roxas set his cup in front of him.

“I had no idea how you took your coffee, so you’ll have to make it yourself…” Roxas said apologetically, pulling his own plastic lid off and taking a heavy breath, relaxing back with the smell of vanilla bean and the sharp tang of the coffee beneath it. Axel chuckled and slid out with his own cup, returning a few moments later and reclaiming his seat across from Roxas.

“Three sugars and cream,” he offered with no other explanation, stirring his pale drink. Roxas groaned.

“So no coffee at all then.” Roxas took a hesitant sip of his own coffee, just bitter enough with a single packet of sugar. He exhaled, allowing the warmth of the drink to seep into his body and curling his fingers around the cardboard cup.

“Exactly,” Axel replied, grinning again over the rim of his own cup. Roxas laughed, inwardly relieved that this wasn’t going awkwardly. Pleasantries accomplished, he pulled his own laptop out of his bag and pushed the screen up, allowing it to boot up while he enjoyed his coffee. They fell into a pleasant silence while Roxas waited, which was a not-unpleasant surprise for the blond. He’d been a bit worried when he’d asked for the meeting, but his TA had been pleasant enough as long as Roxas agreed to meet him early. He didn’t seem like a morning person, Roxas thought, but he probably didn’t want to give up his Sunday to some kid, class or no class. Roxas pulled up his nearly-finished essay and twisted the laptop around for Axel’s perusal, leaning back in the booth with a yawn as he took another huge swallow of his coffee.

Axel leaned in and pulled the laptop closer, scrolling slowly through the document as his eyes scanned the lines of text. He paused to pull out a blank piece of paper and a pen, scrawling unreadable words across the paper as he read. Roxas fiddled with the rings on his fingers, his eyes scanning the quiet café and the few, frantic looking students who were sitting at a table across from them. They’d wheeled in one of the rentable whiteboards and were taking turns scrawling chemical formulas across the dulled surface. Roxas watched them absently, glad he was long done with chemistry classes, while the sound of Axel’s pen scratched behind him.

There was an awkwardness Roxas could almost taste, the feeling of knowing the man across from him was writing down all his flaws. Roxas tried to ignore the feeling, sipping on his coffee and trying to relax. It was a few minutes more before Axel was done, twisting the laptop back to its owner along with the paper. Roxas took a moment to skim the untidy scrawl before he looked up, settling himself in for an hour of tearing this paper apart. It would be worth it. It had better be worth it.

\- - -

When Roxas returned to his dorm two hours later, his eyes heavy and a revised paper saved on his laptop, he was glad to find Xion awake and doing the dishes at his sink. She lived in a different dorm, cheaper but with no kitchen, so she spent a lot of time in his dorm. Roxas was suddenly, ridiculously thankful for his financial aid.

Roxas flopped down into one of the chairs at the kitchen table, letting out a low groan as he arched himself over the chair back, his spine popping. Xion laughed and scraped a stubborn bit of food from a plate with her nail.

“Long day?” Xion asked.

Roxas shrugged, nudging his backpack against the wall and resting his head on his arms. “It’s not even two and I’ve almost fully rewritten that damn paper. “ Xion set the clean plate on the draining board and washed her hands before shutting the faucet off, joining Roxas at the table and playfully poking his elbow.

“Sounds like a productive meeting.” Roxas didn’t need to look up to know that Xion was probably trying to wiggle her eyebrows and failing, a sly grin on her face. Roxas ignored the flush of his cheeks, instead making a noise of discontent and glaring at the ravenette from under his arms.

“We worked. On my paper. He’s my TA, Xion.” Xion laughed and poked his elbow again.

“You think he’s hooooot,” Xion sang as a reply. Roxas pretended his cheeks weren’t getting hotter.

“Yes, okay? I think he’s hot. I also think that’s illegal. I also know I’m way younger than him. We’re not playing this game.” Xion sighed and leaned her elbows on the table, her chin in her hands.

“It’s so cute. My TAs always look like they haven’t showered in two weeks."

Roxas shook his head and unhid his face, resting his chin on his arms now. “Are you done?”

Xion smiled innocently and stood up, grabbing him by the arm and tugging. “For now. C’mon, lazy, let’s go down to the leisure pool.” Roxas groaned but stood up. Xion was determined to soak up every second of sunlight before it got too cold, no matter how many times Roxas reminder her that it never really got cold here. Still, laying in one of the hammocks sounded nice, and he did have that book he’d been meaning to start, so…

“Alright, Xi. Let’s go.”

\- - -

It didn’t take long for Roxas to change into his swim trunks, pulling a loose t-shirt over his head and grabbing his board. Xion’s apartment was on the other side of campus, a quick walk from the leisure pool, so Roxas would stash his stuff in her room and they’d walk to the pool together. She gathered her things and Roxas made sure he had his ID before they headed downstairs together. Roxas, who had been slowly teaching Xion how to skateboard, pulled Xion along by her arm while she balanced precariously on his board. The sun beat down overhead as Roxas and Xion made their way along the cracked sidewalk toward the fun part of campus. The leisure pool shared space with the gym, the lap pool, and the intramural fields, hanging on the outmost part of campus. Xion’s dorms were some of the oldest dorms on campus, made of dusty red bricks.

Xion wobbled on the board, tightening her grip on Roxas’s wrist as he pulled her over a large crack in the concrete. Her short black hair looked almost purple in the sun, the color of a raven’s wing. Roxas smiled back at her, glad in that moment to have a friend quite as wonderful as her.

“How’ve your classes been going, Xi? I meant to ask, but…” Roxas smiled and rubbed the back of his neck.

“But you got distracted,” Xion finished, laughing quietly. She was used to Roxas’s habit of wandering away in his mind and took no offense from it. “They’re fine. I’ve been  busy working on the main set piece for this semester’s play. It’s coming out really well.”

“What’s the theater putting on this time?” Roxas asked, carefully leading her around a missing chunk of sidewalk. The skateboard wheels made a soft rumbling sound as they went along, a sound Roxas found comforting.

“ _Hair_ ,” Xion said. “It’s gonna be pretty good. I sometimes watch practices while I work.” Roxas always came to every show he could, even though he didn’t know anyone in the actual plays, because Xion worked backstage at every play. Xion was wonderful at it; her pieces always looked beautiful and she never let other people see her, never let them know she was there. It was almost like magic.

Roxas nodded his head absently, turning them sharply right and pulling Xion onto the cracked pavement. They followed the road inward, turning along the sidewalk paths until they reached Xion’s dorm. Roxas helped her off the board and kicked it up before following Xion inside.

“Did your RA change the pod theme?” Roxas asked. The dorms were divided into pods by gender. Each pod was kept behind a locked door.  A pod was made up of eight rooms and the RA’s room, all opening into a common area filled with comfy couches and tables for homework. Each floor had two pods—one male and one female. Over the summer, Xion’s pod had been Monopoly themed, and the new RA had dropped the ball and skipped changing the theme. Roxas, whose own floor was themed for 80’s rock, had made fun of Xion’s lazy RA. His own RA brought cookies sometimes.

Xion grinned and pulled open the door instead of answering. Roxas stepped through, looked around, and started laughing.

Xion followed him in. “Yeah. I don’t blame you for laughing.” She pushed him toward one of the couches. “Sit while I go change. We can stop by Marketplace and grab food to take to the pool.”

Roxas, still trying to catch his breath from laughing, only nodded. Xion rolled her eyes and unlocked her door, slamming the Minion-covered door behind her. Roxas rubbed his eyes and laid back on the couch, still laughing. Poor Xion.

Half an hour later, the duo was on their way to the pool, Roxas carrying two to-go boxes from the cafeteria and Xion carrying two thermoses full of soda and their towels.

“I still can’t believe your RA covered your whole pod with Minions,” Roxas said, trying not to chuckle. Xion rolled her eyes and nudged him with her elbow.

“Can I come move in with you? I don’t think I can handle staring at those stupid yellow Tic-Tacs.”

Roxas did laugh then. “I suppose I can make that sacrifice. I don’t want to be responsible for your death, after all.”

Xion sighed and handed her ID card over to the bored looking guy behind the glass screen. He swiped both of their IDs and waved them through the gates. Roxas quickly claimed one of the outdoor couches under an umbrella, setting the two boxes of food on the table nearby. The sun glimmered invitingly off the clear water. There were a few guys playing volleyball, using the net stretched across the shallow water. A few girls were stretched across white plastic chairs, watching the guys from behind their sunglasses as they soaked in the sunlight. Music played from speakers hidden around the pavilion, completing the idealistic image of a college pool. Roxas shook his head and popped open the food box, grabbing a slice of pizza and leaning back. Xion, from next to him, tugged her lavender sundress over her head and  curled up on a sunny part of the couch with her own meal, a fresh looking salad and a turkey sandwich.

Roxas pulled his book out as he munched on his pizza, flipping it open to his bookmark and laying across his half of the couch. He knew Xion would want to go swimming soon, and he would give in after minimal complaining because he cared for her and he would do basically anything if it meant she would smile. But for now, he would enjoy his book and his mediocre cafeteria pizza, and he would be happy. And he wouldn’t think about classwork, or homework, or hot TAs with eyes like jade.

He wouldn’t.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Roxas's college is based almost place for place off of my university because it's what I know and what I love. 
> 
> Poor Roxas. He has no idea what I have in store for him.


End file.
